Cranberry Cake – My Baking Habit

Full of tart recent cranberries and topped with a candy cinnamon-and-pecan streusel, this cranberry cake makes a scrumptious vacation espresso cake or easy dessert to take pleasure in by the hearth.

‘Tis the season for cranberries! 

I get so excited after I see these first baggage of recent cranberries hit the grocery shops. Solely a handful of shops close to me carry baggage of frozen cranberries year-round, so I often should make the handful of luggage of recent cranberries I toss into my freezer annually final till the subsequent vacation season.

I like these tart little jewels. Except for being an absolute should for home made cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, they’re excellent in the whole lot from cranberry orange muffins to my cranberry pecan goat cheese ball. 

In case you’re like me and may’t get sufficient of the sweet-tart taste of cranberries this time of 12 months, you’re gonna wish to add this cranberry cake to your baking checklist ASAP.

Contemporary cranberry cake with cinnamon streusel

I used my cinnamon roll cake as the bottom for this cranberry cake. It’s a buttery sheet cake with simply sufficient sweetness to steadiness out the tartness of the cranberries.

There’s nothing higher than these fairly bursts of recent cranberries all through baked items like cranberry nut bread and cranberry gooey butter bars. So I used recent cranberries right here, too, for these jewel-like pops of coloration and tart taste.

The entire thing is completed off with a streusel made with brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped pecans. Mud the highest with some powdered sugar earlier than serving and also you’ve obtained a cake that’s easy to make however is packed stuffed with taste.

It’s just about the proper espresso cake to serve for a Christmas brunch. Or you’ll be able to plate up a slice to take pleasure in for a straightforward dessert by a roaring fireplace subsequent to the Christmas tree.

Truthfully, there’s no unhealthy time to eat this cake!

Learn how to make my cranberry cake

Like most of my espresso cake recipes, this cranberry cake is fairly dang simple to make. And because you don’t should glaze or frost it after baking, it’s a cake you’ll be able to throw within the oven simply earlier than firm arrives and be able to wow them when it’s achieved!

Elements you’ll want

For the cake itself, you’ll need:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon effective sea salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled 
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 2 giant eggs
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup bitter cream
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 12 ounces recent or frozen cranberries

Right here in the US, most recent cranberries are offered in 12-ounce baggage, so you’ll need 1 bag for this recipe.

If you’re utilizing frozen cranberries, don’t thaw them earlier than including them to the batter or else they’ll stain the cake batter. Maintain them frozen and the cake will nonetheless bake up simply effective!

One of many issues that makes this cranberry cake so excellent is the streusel topping. For that, you’ll need:

• ¾ cup calmly packed mild brown sugar
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon floor cinnamon
• Pinch of effective sea salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• ½ cup chopped pecans (elective)

If you’re allergic to nuts or don’t like pecans, be at liberty to go away them out of the streusel. The cake will nonetheless be scrumptious!

Making this recipe

Begin by whisking collectively the dry substances for the cake: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set this combination apart.

In a big bowl, whisk collectively the melted butter and granulated sugar. As soon as that’s effectively mixed, whisk within the eggs till clean. Add the milk, bitter cream, and vanilla and whisk till clean and effectively mixed.

Swap to a spatula and stir the dry substances into the butter combination till simply mixed. Add the cranberries and fold them in.

Unfold the batter right into a 9×13-inch pan that’s been sprayed with nonstick spray and lined with parchment paper. 

Now make the streusel topping. Stir the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl, then use a fork to stir within the melted butter. As soon as clumps type, stir within the chopped pecans.

Sprinkle this combination evenly excessive of the cake. Bake the cranberry cake for 40-45 minutes; it’s achieved when a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clear.

Let the cake cool for not less than 15-20 minutes earlier than serving. You possibly can serve the cake heat or at room temperature. I counsel dusting it with powdered sugar for a fairly end earlier than serving!

Storage and freezing suggestions

Retailer this cranberry cake coated at room temperature for 2-3 days, relying on how heat your kitchen is. You can too maintain it within the fridge for as much as 4 days if you might want to retailer it for longer.

Be at liberty to freeze any leftover slices of cranberry cake. Wrap them in a layer of plastic wrap and pop them right into a freezer-safe hermetic container or zip-top freezer bag. Freeze for up 1-2 months.

If you’re able to take pleasure in a slice, unwrap the cake and let it thaw at room temperature for a few hours or pop it into the microwave for 30-60 seconds.

Ceaselessly requested questions